[Imc-africa] dakar concerns

Wed Feb 11 22:47:36 PST 2004

Hello all and thanks Sphinx for such a comprehensive response to my queries/misperceptions, but having followed the links advised, I still can't say I'm reassured. A scan of the records online concerning the BtB and the Dakar conference may be summed up:
1. Sometime in May last year, mention is made on the IMC-Africa list that sending a crate of computers down south would be a really fine idea (Ecuador and Argentina benefited from such deliveries).
2. Then the idea of the tour is mooted by a collective in Germany, as a means to meet like-minded media activists as well as a vehicle to 'hand out equipment to IMCs in Africa'.
3. The need for a conference emerges for reasons I couldn't trace but would presume for slowing the caravana to more than a whistlestop.
4. In the proposal document, the aims of the conference are set out as the dissemination of the indymedia ethic, organisational principles, and like 'winds of change' it is hoped that committed activists will take these forward in the establishment of consolidation of their projects.
5. The 14-day programme as cited is very vague. A full day to discuss 'online security'? 2 days are dedicated to video and audio streaming which, given the bandwidth in South Africa, is entirely impractical to even think about. The programme is intensively web-technical whereas most of indymedia's audience doesn't have access to the Internet.

If there's a need for African IMCs to come together, it is to discuss areas in which we can offer one another support and develop a critique of developments on the continent. From the particular understandings of media in our respective countries and of the relationships of Indymedia to other organisations/movements, an approach to continent-wide projects can be generalised. The form and content of media we produce in coming out of the conference could then make independent reportage in the continent sharper and more coherent. How we manage IMCs, ensure their sustainability and productivity are crucial questions but not ones that can be resolved by emphasising a dependence on expertise or experience from Europe. Our identities, mutual relations and critical perspectives have first to be reinforced. 

Perhaps it's just my organising background, but I'd recommend a conference secretariat bring a sense of order to the process. Representatives from each participating IMC should be seconded to the secretariat and issues relevant for the conference can then collectively inform the programme. Conference organisers have to be identified as well to collate the information and to look to practical arrangements. There are a number of active discussants on the list, Sphinx especially, who have already been playing such roles. It's important for accountability and a transparent process that these people be identified, and with funds already raised, this should be done sooner than later. 

I hope these comments are helpful towards a successful meeting in Dakar, 
nicolas
Indymedia SA

On Fri,  6 Feb 2004 21:22:24 +0000, vally_x at nadir.org said:
>Hi Nicolas! It is unfortunate that I cannot affort the time to write an 
>extensive mail to reply to your mail below. But then I'll try to do so as much 
>as the short time at my disposal can permit. I'll try to include a couple of 
>links to help give you more access to information.
>I would rather put most of the the links at the end of the page to avoid 
>confusion in reading.
>
>
>1-You are wrong to assert that "organising the event lurches
> towards the question of funds" as the Organsing has been going on for six 
>months now and the question of fund only came in the last few weeks, in effect 
>it has been the very last of things to deal with. You will see that in the 
>links I'll mention later all from the ARCHIVES OF YOUR INDYMEDIA mailing list 
>INDYMEDIA SA. Content have been discussed, representation(mobilisation) have 
>been discussed and the process have been going on all this while.
>
>2-Your are wrong to assert that there have been "very little discussion has 
>focused on the conference itself, its programme and objectives". For that is 
>what has been happening  the last 6months.
>
>Here is a short extract from one of the material on the twiki pages:
>
>[.The long term perspective is for African activists to Organise imcs all over 
>the continent and use them for their struggle for a better society as well as 
>an example for an alternative way of organising society (consensus & non-
>hierarchy) to enhance participatory democracy. Which will in turn lead to a 
>more Just and equitable society. 
>
>Immediate perspective .We hope to sow the knowledge of imc amongst the few 
>activists that we will get contact with leaving in Africa. To be able to 
>discuss, clarify and explain what indy is all about. Especially the difference 
>between indymedia and what is popularly known in Africa as independent media. 
>As, while these independent media in Africa kind of focuses mostly on 
>criticising the government; indymedia goes the extra length to offer 
>possibility for the participation of every member of the society; thus taking 
>away the limited option of just having those out of government to work their 
>way into government as has been the results with the work of some of these 
>independent media activity. Indymedia goes down to propose an option that will 
>improve the structure of society and not only to deal with goverment 
>malpractices . With the workshops that we plan to Organise during 
>the "Boundaries to Bridges tour" we hope to : Clarify these things and that 
>when the tour ends in March-2004 we should have in the continent a handful of 
>people that have got the GRASP of what indymedia is all about, how it functions 
>and what is the contribution it can bring in raising political awareness in the 
>continent and enhancing the development of the society. Then in the future this 
>continent based activists will be at the forefront of spreading indymedia in 
>the continent and other activists around the world can support them when the 
>need arises.]
>http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/ShortAndLongTermPerspectivesOfIndymediaAfri
>ca
>
> 
>3- You are wrong to make the assertion that "when what it is that will occupy 
>the few that will attend for two-weeks is actually quite unclear". As that has 
>been discussed again and again. Drung his last six months which a look atthe 
>links from your achieves will go to confrim.
>
>4-Yout are wrong to assert that the "The conference has been
> suggested as a technical workshop" . For not even the working draft of what 
>will happen in those 14days suggest that. 
>
>Extract from draft for the 14days 
>[proposal Calendar for the March 1-14, when the focus of the tour is indymedia. 
>We plan to use this period to run serious workshops about indymedia. 
>
>
>Monday toWednesday-March 1-3 ; arrival/socialising of activists. 
>
>Thursday-March 4; Self-introduction / restructuring of agenda 
>
>Friday-March 5; -Presentation of The history and structure of indymedia. 
>Presentation on Alternative Media is and Presentation on Formal Consensus. 
>Saturday-March 6 :Workshop on Openposting and site admin, list admin, IRC . 
>Sunday-March 7 : watching of imc-made films. 
>Monday-March 8 : Audio and audio streaming 
>Tuesday- March 9 : Video and video streaming 
>Wednesday- March 10: Basics on free-software/opensource; concept and how it 
>works. 
>Thursday- March 11 : Workshop on Online security 
>Friday-March 12 : Discussion on Independent maintenance of local imc with 
>reference to self funding. 
>Saturday-March 13 : Alternative Media Festival Party 
>Sunday- March 14 : Closing of Conference/ Alternative Media festival 
>]
>
>http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/Draft
>
>
>-5.Here again is another assertion that have nothing to do with the reality of 
>the preparation this far noh has any reason to have been make [The
> political agenda for the conference is entirely absent and subsumed by
> presumptions of African neediness and northern activists' benevolence.
>]
>
>-Take a while and look at the twiki page develop in the frame of the tour of 
>which the conference is a further development
>http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/BtB
>  
>-You could also look at the archives of the imc-africa list were lots othis 
>discussions also took place
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-africa/
>
> 
>-Below are some links  managed to assemble from the archives of indymedia South 
>Africa that can help everyone acqauint themselves with both the evolution and 
>development of the concept of the conference. 
>
>
>
>IDEAS AND DISCUSSION ABOUT IMC IN AFRICA WHICH WILL LEAD LATER TO THE TOUR THAT 
>WILL THEN BRING THIS WHOLE CONFERENCE WITHIN IT'S FRAME starts from here and 
>goes all the way to the imc-african list. This are all from the archives of imc-
>sa
>
>-Jay's first mail
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2002-July/subject.html
>
>-Jay's mail to Afrcian imcs
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2002-September/000708.html
>
>-Need to creat a list where to discuss how to handle (Imc africa lists)
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2002-December/000792.html
>
>
>
>-Effords at updating people on the discussions
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-January/000799.html
>
>-More infromation being passed arround all with the intern to push imc growth 
>and development in Africa
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-January/000800.html
>
>-Discussion the ideas and issues on how to go forawrd with indymedia in africa
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-January/000801.html
>
>
>The Begininig of the discussions leading to this conference
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-May/000890.html
>
>Call for network wide  IRC meeting on tour 
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-July/000946.html
>
>Logs of network meetings
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-July/000947.html
>
>
>more on irc meetings
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-August/000966.html
>
>And update on more developments and proposal for next meeting
>http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-sa/2003-October/000996.html
>
>Best regards
>Sphinx
>
>ps: i'll be ready to answer any questions on the issue
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Quoting nicolas dieltiens <nicolas at red.org.za>:
>
>> 
>> Dear all, for a two-week conference that's scheduled to begin at the end of
>> the month, very little discussion has focused on the conference itself, its
>> programme and objectives. Everyone on-list has been scurrying around for
>> funds to make it happen when what it is that will occupy the few that will
>> attend for two-weeks is actually quite unclear. The conference has been
>> suggested as a technical workshop, and 9 volunteers are to offer workshops on
>> skills still to be determined for 12 or less IMC-africa participants. If this
>> is all the Dakar conference is hoping to achieve, I could think of better
>> ways to spend our efforts and their money.
>> 
>> Perhaps some responses could clarify my concerns, but at the moment the
>> conference hasn't been conceptualised and organising the event lurches
>> towards the question of funds. Let's better re-schedule and conceptualise the
>> conference before exasperating volunteered contributions. I'd really be a
>> reluctant participant in a conference of 6 with 9 workshop facilitators - for
>> two-weeks (the count recommended recently by Jay (IMC Philadelphia)). The
>> political agenda for the conference is entirely absent and subsumed by
>> presumptions of African neediness and northern activists' benevolence.
>> 
>> regards
>> 
>> Nicolas
>> Indymedia sa
>> _______________________________________________
>> Imc-africa mailing list
>> Imc-africa at lists.indymedia.org
>> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-africa
>> 
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